


Genesis

by ircnshield



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Hospitals, Hurt Tony Stark, I will add more tags as I go, Injury Recovery, M/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Canon Fix-It, Protective Steve, Reconciliation, Slow Burn, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2020-10-21 06:56:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ircnshield/pseuds/ircnshield
Summary: It was over.Exhausted and close to collapsing, Steve Rogers looked at the sight around him. Total destruction had reigned after Thanos and his army attacked, but it was finally over. The dust settled and he watched as one by one of Thanos’s lackeys turned into ash, carried off by the silent wind until ultimately the Titan himself was also no more. As the relief was starting to wash over him, it was cut short when his eyes caught Tony Stark by the rubble, struggling to stay upright.---Or the one where Tony Stark lives, and Steve Rogers stays.





	1. Chapter 1

It was over.  
  
Exhausted and close to collapsing, Steve Rogers looked at the sight around him. Total destruction had reigned after Thanos and his army attacked, but it was finally over. The dust settled and he watched as one by one of Thanos’s lackeys turned into ash, carried off by the silent wind until ultimately the Titan himself was also no more. As the relief was starting to wash over him, it was cut short when his eyes caught Tony Stark by the rubble, struggling to stay upright. He watched in uncertainty as Tony collapsed. He immediately wanted to reach out and help him, but he was yards away from him. Steve eyed the damage caused by the gauntlet that Tony used to banish Thanos from existence. Like Bruce, he could see that Tony’s right side had been charred due to the power of the Infinity Stones that flowed through the gauntlet.

Steve looked on as Rhodey, Peter, and Pepper made their way over to Tony, as they were the ones closest to him. Steve struggled to make his way over as well, even as his leg screamed in protest. He felt a presence beside him and he turned to his right to see Thor, also gazing at Tony in worry and uncertainty. Without looking over at Steve, Thor wrapped an arm around his waist to help him support his weight and together they made their way over to their fallen comrade.

As they made their way over, Steve could hear Peter speaking to Tony. Tony hadn’t moved at all after he collapsed. He just stared on as Peter whimpered, “... we won. Mr. Stark? Y-You did it, Mr. Stark… Tony...” He started to cry.

Pepper grabbed onto the distraught boy and gently maneuvered him aside to reach Tony. Steve watched as she knelt down to examine him. She laid a hand over the arc reactor that powered the suit and Tony grabbed on to it. As he and Thor finally reached them, he heard Pepper inhale a shaky breath and ask, “FRIDAY?”

The A.I. responded, “Boss needs immediate medical attention. His condition is critical.”

Despite his exhaustion, this spurred Steve’s need to do something. “We-we need to get him to a hospital fast,” he urged and took a step forward.

“Wait. Don’t move him,” a voice called out.

Steve turned around and saw Doctor Stephen Strange make his way towards them, cloak billowing behind him as we walked. Steve looked at him in confusion and was about to protest but Strange cut him off with, “We need to remove the armor first. Then I can transport him to the hospital.”

Steve nodded, turned back to Tony and watched as Pepper referred back to the A.I. once again. “FRIDAY, could you please remove the armor?” she quietly asked.  
  
“Yes, Ms. Potts,” FRIDAY replied, and the nanotech reverted back to the housing, except for what was left of the damaged iron gauntlet on Tony’s right arm. “Those will need to be removed manually,” the A.I. said.

“Very well,” said Strange, “that will do.” He turned and started to wave his hands around. Tendrils of orange sparks appeared and formed a circle to open a portal to what looked like a supply closet. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get some help. Anyone else who needs to be treated for mild injuries can come with me. Quickly.”

Some of the fighters left with Strange. Wong also instructed the rest to open portals to have those that were wounded pass through and clear the field. The only ones left were the Guardians and the Avengers. The portal that Strange had opened, closed, and Steve turned back to Tony and knelt forward next to Pepper.

“It’s going to be alright, Tony. Strange went to get some help. You’re going to be alright.”

Tony’s gaze shifted from Pepper to Steve in acknowledgment. Steve could see that Tony was trying to say something, moving his lips to form the words, but Steve placed a hand on his leg and said, “Don’t, Tony. Save your strength.”

Tony’s lips attempted to form a half-smirk before his eyes shifted to something behind Steve. Steve turned to see that the portal had reappeared and Doctor Strange coming through it with a stretcher and a woman trailing behind him.

“This is Dr. Christine Palmer. She’s a friend,” Strange said as he introduced her.

Steve and Pepper got up and moved to the side to make room for Dr. Palmer as she jogged up to reach them. She leaned over Tony to quickly assess his condition and said with urgency, “Okay, we need to get him on the stretcher. Now.”

Steve and Rhodey sprung to action. They both moved on either side of Tony and lifted him onto the stretcher. Doctor Strange and Dr. Palmer rolled the stretcher through the portal, with Pepper disassembling from her Rescue armor to follow. Steve stood with Rhodey and the rest of the Avengers as they watched the portal close behind them. He wanted to go with them, too, but the chaos that was left needed to be handled first. He just hoped that Tony would be okay.

* * *

Two days passed.

Rhodey relayed information back to Steve and the rest of the group that cleanup for the destruction that Thanos left behind will start by the end of the week; Pepper told him during his latest visit to the hospital that Stark Industries will be partnering up with the government to oversee the job. What was left of the Avengers and the Guardians helped with what they could. King T’Challa even offered some of his resources to help. Steve was grateful for his assistance.

However, the information that Steve had been itching to hear the most is about Tony’s road to recovery. Any time Rhodey would call him and give him an update about the cleanup efforts, he didn’t have much positive news on Tony’s condition, and Steve hadn't seen Tony since Doctor Strange took him to the hospital in New York City via portal two days ago.

He was working himself over with worry.

After all that they’ve been through, working with Tony again these past few weeks and saving the world from Thanos had been the most alive Steve had ever felt since before the situation with Bucky and the Accords. It felt good to be on the same side as Tony. There was always something there when they worked together; something that made them better and overcome anything that felt impossible. They worked flawlessly; able to communicate what the other is thinking and coming up with the same ideas by using as few words as possible.

Steve would have never thought that there would have been a chance that he and Tony would get to where they are now - not after the secrets and the betrayal. _ No trust. Liar. _ That’s what Tony had said to him five years ago, with spite laced into his words; it was meant to hurt, and it did hurt. It _ wounded _ him; it hurt as much as not knowing whether Tony was dead or alive when Ebony Maw attacked New York, looking for the time stone, and hearing Bruce’s voice on the other end of that burner phone that Steve sent Tony with a promise that he couldn’t- _ didn’t _ keep.

Before Carol Danvers made her existence known, and to distract himself from his internal grief, Steve and the rest of the Avengers threw themselves into figuring out what had happened to the people who vanished after Thanos snapped his fingers. They worked tirelessly, and when Carol showed up, saying that she could detect a distress signal from deep into the intergalactic plane, Steve felt a glimmer of hope - that it was Tony. Seeing Tony for the first time since 2016, and seeing him like _ that _ \- gaunt and malnourished, like he was a step away from death’s door - when he got off the Benator, gutted him. He couldn’t run fast enough to get to him, the ill filled past and arguments behind him. And now, Tony was in the middle of fighting for his life once again.

Steve didn’t think that they’ve reached the level of friendship they used to have from before everything went downhill, but he felt like the wound had been bandaged over and that they’ve started to rebuild their comradeship and renewed a deep sense of trust. And regardless of all of that, he just wanted Tony to be okay. Losing Tony, too… Steve didn’t know exactly what he would do, but he knew that none of it would have been worth it.

God, he’d blame himself for somehow convincing Tony to come back into this just to lose him in the end. Then there was the matter of his family . . .

“Steve. You listening to me?”

Rhodey’s voice ripped Steve away from his current thoughts. He and Rhodey were finishing up their conference call when Steve had asked about how Tony was doing.

“Oh. Sorry. What were you saying again?” Steve asked, shaking his head to try and clear it from his previous thoughts.

“Y’know, if you’re that worried about him, why don’t you come see him yourself? We can trade since I’ll be heading upstate to help SI start with cleanup anyway. Strange and Doctor Palmer said that his condition is stable, but he keeps going in and out of consciousness.”

“What about his right arm? Bruce doesn’t think there’s a fix for his own.”

“Yeah, it’s looking like that on our end, too.”

Steve frowned, and he and Rhodey didn’t say anything for a moment.

“The stones?” Steve asked.

“Strange has them secured at his place with that weird magic that he does,” replied Rhodey. “He said to let him know when we’re ready to return them.”

“Bruce told me that he and Rocket will be consulting with Hank Pym tomorrow to get the resources they’re missing to build a new quantum tunnel. So, I guess that it’s only a matter of time until we can send those back.”

“Good to have that covered,” Rhodey said. A beat. “So are you going to answer my question from earlier?”

“I... I want to go see him. Believe me, I do,” Steve admitted, “but I really feel like I’ll just be occupying space. I mean, between his daughter and Pepper, and Parker... I don’t want to intrude.”

“It’ll be fine. Steve,” Rhodey paused and let out a loud sigh. “I can’t sit here and watch my best friend just lay there and not be able to do anything about it. It kills me to see him like this. Even Pepper told me I should take a break. I honestly don’t want to leave him, but I keep thinking, _ what if _, y’know?” Rhodey paused again. “Besides, I'm sure that he’d like to see you there, anyway.”

Steve sighed. “Okay,” he agreed. I’ll drive myself to the city tomorrow morning. When will you be getting here?”

“I’ll probably be flying up there later tonight to have time to get me and Barnes ready for that conference call with the new Secretary of State and the UN for tomorrow morning. By the way, I’ll let Pepper know you’ll be on your way here tomorrow. Do you need a place to say?”

“No, I still have my apartment in Brooklyn. I’m alright.”

“Okay, good.”

“Alright. Thanks, Rhodes. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah. Later.” And with that, Steve hung up.

Steve dropped the phone on the hotel bed and sat down. Currently, half of the Avengers and the Guardians were at the compound site to assist with their cleanup attempt. The other half, including Steve, were staying in a hotel in a small town forty-five minutes out from the compound - taking their turn to rest. It’s midday - it’s almost time for the shift change, and both Sam and Bucky should be back soon. Sam and Bucky have been getting along well; very well in fact, that Steve wasn't worried about taking off for a few days. They can help manage the team with Rhodey from here.

Steve looked around the room until his eyes fell on the half-broken shield that he took from the wreckage. He found the other half yesterday. He hoped that it can get fixed someday - these two halves of a whole.

His thoughts drifted back to Tony again.

He just really needed him to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope ya'll like the start to this.
> 
> Please let me know in the comments what you would like to see and literally anything that you think will happen next.
> 
> I'm currently in the process of writing chapter 2. We'll probably get to see Tony there. lol
> 
> Also, I sent this to my friend the other day and she was like, "why /didn't/ they have Strange portal him to a hospital anyway?" Like... he didn't /need/ to die for shock value.
> 
> But, anyway, feedback is really appreciated. I haven't written fic in a long time.
> 
> Also, I'm on twitter as @ircnshield. So feel free to come talk to me!


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re sure that you don’t want at least one of us to go with you?”

Steve and Sam were standing behind Steve’s rental car as he prepared for the drive to New York City. They were waiting for Bucky and Rhodey to catch up to them. They both had been attending a conference call with the United Nations and King T’Challa, finishing up. Secretary Ross had stepped down from the United Nations’ panel that dealt with the Accords five years ago and was replaced by someone else far more fair and willing to listen to the Avengers and their concerns. They even settled to have the status of the rogue Avengers wiped completely clean, namely Steve, Sam and Wanda’s, due to their assistive efforts to help save the world. Bucky’s situation is pretty much up in the air, but with King T’Challa and Princess Shuri vouching for him and his recovery, Bucky will be able to remain on American soil without the fear of getting arrested, as long as he’s being escorted by Rhodes or any other Avenger that had signed the original document. As for the Accords having any official ground on whether the Avengers will operate within the UN’s panel, well, that discussion has been tabled and will continue to be until the world recovers from this intergalactic blow. The UN panel, King T’Challa, and Rhodey, as the new liaison, have figured that restrictions will do more harm than good with the world’s current state.

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s only for a couple of days,” Steve said to Sam, as he put his duffle bag in the trunk of his rental. “And besides you two work better as a team, and I just really need to see how Tony’s doing.”

“Right,” said Sam, “I’ve been meaning to ask, how have things been between the two of you?”

“I...” Steve hesitated, caught off guard, “they’re good. We’re alright.”

“You don’t sound too sure.”

“We’re on really good terms, Sam, and I’d like to keep it that way,” said Steve as he shut the trunk of the car and faced Sam.

Sam nodded, “Well, that’s good. We all need each other, too. More than ever. There’s no room for fights. Especially since we’ve lost really good people.”

Steve’s heart wrenched at the thought of Natasha.

“Yeah, we all need each other, and we all need to be there for one another,” Steve said in agreement.

“Hey!”

Both Sam and Steve turned to the direction the voice came from and saw Rhodey and Bucky walking towards them. 

“So it’s official?” asked Steve.

“Yeah, documents were signed and all of that,” said Bucky as he reached them. “And if anything goes sideways in the near future, T’Challa said I could just go back to Wakanda if I really need to. So, we’ll see.” He smiled.

“Well, that’s good,” said Steve, smiling back. “I’m glad that they’re letting you stay, Buck, I really am.” 

“Right? I also gotta keep this guy in check,” he said as he clapped his metal hand on Sam’s shoulder. “He needs it.”

“Man, have I mentioned that I can’t stand you sometimes?” Sam jokingly grumbled as he shrugged his hand off. “You’re usually the one who needs saving.”

“I’m not the one who tripped and fell earlier ‘cause they didn’t notice the poor, alien tree guy sticking his leg out. I think you dented his branch a bit. He seemed pretty upset.”

“You were literally right there in front of me and didn’t even warn me, asshole.”

“I don’t know, Sam. Barnes may have a point.” Rhodey snickered. “You definitely sound like you need it. Poor, Groot.”  
  
Sam rolled his eyes. “Oh. Okay, James Squared, I see how it is.”

A silence fell between the four men as they looked at one another, and then all eyes were trained on both Bucky and Rhodey, as the dorky reference suddenly dawned on them. Bucky and Rhodey both glanced at each other and assessed the other before they both turned back to Sam to say, “Never again.”

San laughed, “Oh, it’ll stick - give it time.”  
  
Steve laughed softly at their antics. They will definitely be fine while he’s gone.

Rhodey then addressed Steve, “Oh, before I forget. Pepper called. Doctor Palmer told her that there’s a very low chance that Tony’s right arm will have an inch of mobility. So,” he handed Steve a StarkPad. “I had to stop by the lake house to pick this up. FRIDAY’s hooked up to that. He’s going to need it once he fully wakes up. It’ll probably keep him entertained while he’s there - give him something to do, y’know.”

“Right, I’ll give it to him,” said Steve. He continued, “You guys got things handled here, right?”

“Yeah, Cap. We got this.” said Sam. “Give Stark our best.”

“I will.” Steve shook Sam and Rhodey’s hands in goodbye. He turned to Bucky to give him a hug. “Take care, Buck.”

“You, too.”  
  
“Depending on how cleanup goes and when the help arrives, I might drag these two with me back to the city,” said Rhodey. “I heard from Clint that Wanda will be visiting him for a bit and then they’ll visit Tony at the hospital along with his family.”

“What about the rest of the Guardians?” asked Steve.

“I think they said that they might be sticking around for a bit. Thor’s going to show them around New Asgard and then circle back to see how Tony’s doing. Either way, they’re not going to take off without Rocket until he and Bruce build a replacement for that time machine.”

Steve nodded. “Well, then, keep me posted if anything changes.” He walked towards the driver’s seat and proceeded to get in the car.

“You got it, Cap. Drive safely,” said Rhodey.

Steve nodded in thanks and shut the door. He started the car, pulled out of the driveway, and drove straight on towards the highway that would take him to the city. He was nervous and didn’t exactly know why, but he had a two-hour drive ahead of him to mull over that. Some part of himself still feels as if he shouldn’t get to see Tony, but it’s also what he should do because he wants to. That urge to make sure that Tony will be alright is stronger than the guilt that had never really left him which continued to grow as the years had gone by. Regardless, Steve will always think that Tony deserved better than the hand the world dealt him, and he deserved more than whatever illusion of friendship he was willing to give him.

* * *

Pepper Potts sat in the blanched hospital room, willing Tony Stark’s comatose body to open its eyes. She held his hand, hoping to feel a tightening of the slack grip, or a brush of a finger upon her own. The only proof that Tony Stark was still alive was the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the rise and fall of his chest. 

After Pepper left the battlefield with Stephen Strange and Dr. Palmer, the wait had been agonizing. Dr. Palmer hadn’t told her that Tony’s condition was stabilized until two days ago. He was going to be okay; however, he hadn’t fully woken up yet and had been drifting in and out of consciousness. Another matter of concern was his right arm - the radiation that the gauntlet emitted was critical for the human body, and somehow Tony came out alive, but at the cost of his right arm. Dr. Palmer had said that mobility in the right arm had been practically cut off. Tony will have to decide what he would want to do when he wakes up.

Pepper sighed as she let go of Tony’s hand. A wave of emotion washed over her and tears welled up in her eyes. She was grateful. Honestly. He was alive and he brought everyone back - banished the nightmare that had been plaguing his mind for over ten years. If only he would wake up.

The sound of knocking brought Pepper’s attention to the door. The door opened to reveal Happy Hogan and her daughter, Morgan, trailing behind him. Pepper tried to steel her features and tried to put on a brave and welcoming face for her daughter.  
  
“Hi, sweetheart,” greeted Pepper as Morgan approached her. She reached her arms out to embrace her daughter and lifted her onto her lap.  
  
“Did Daddy wake up?” asked Morgan, her big, brown eyes filled with hope.  
  
Pepper forced a reassuring smile. Those eyes were definitely her father’s. “No, baby. He didn’t. He’s still sleeping.”  
  
Morgan’s expression fell. “Oh,” she said. She then turned her face towards her father. She reached out with her tiny hand to grasp the hand that Pepper had been holding previously.

“Why don’t you try talking to him again, baby?” Pepper urged on. “I think he heard you last time.” The last time Tony had gained consciousness was after Morgan had her talking session with him, but Pepper had Happy take her back to the hotel suite - that she booked for their stay in the city until Tony recovered - before she was able to see the fruits of her labor. Pepper had watched as Tony had opened his eyes for a brief second and a slight smile appear on his face. The moment was short, but Pepper knew that Tony was still listening.  
  
“Okay,” she said and proceeded to babble on about the hotel pancakes she had this morning, which, she figured, were shaped into an ambiguous animal.

“Pepper,” Happy quietly called out. “Why don’t you go take a break? Go get a coffee or breakfast or something. I’ll keep an eye on her.”  
  
“Oh, Happy, I should really stay.”

“It’ll be fine. Just take a few minutes to yourself. Rhodey’s not the only one who deserves a break, y’know?” He paused. “Also, the kid texted me to tell me that he’s going to stop by after school today.”

“And Steve Rogers should be on his way… Both of them are going to tell me to go take a nap, aren’t they?” she said dejectedly.

“Yeah, I would say so.”

“Okay. I’ll go downstairs to get some breakfast.” She nudged her daughter,” Hey, baby. Mommy’s going to go get something to eat, okay? I’ll be right back, and be good for Uncle Happy, okay?”  
  
“Yes, mommy.” Morgan got down from Pepper’s lap. 

Pepper smiled down at her daughter and proceeded to get up and walk out of Tony’s hospital room in the direction of the elevators.

As she passed by the nurse’s station, which was by the elevators, she heard a loud commotion coming from the opposite direction. She saw other nurses turn their heads to the source of it, and she couldn't help but do the same.

“It’s Captain America!”

“Can I get an autograph?”

“Captain is it over?”

“I’ve never seen him up close before. He’s so handsome!”

“Is there anything we can help you with?”

Pepper watched as Steve Rogers was swarmed by nurses, both women and men, asking questions upon questions. Some continued to gush over him. Others had gotten closer to him than what was deemed necessary in an attempt to touch his leather-clad biceps. Pepper stood there, speechless at the spectacle; that is until Dr. Christine Palmer arrived at the scene.

“Alright! Break it up!” she ordered. “Get back to your rounds.”

The nurses dispersed and backed away from the Captain, each of them scurrying away to resume their work, their faces blushing furiously. The Captain was left in bewilderment, probably not expecting such a reaction _inside _a hospital. However, that should have been expected with the pitiful disguise of a sole baseball cap he was donning.  
  
“I’m sorry about that, Captain Rogers,” Christine said as she shook his hand in greeting.

“It’s fine, really. I should have seen that coming,” he said with a slight smile. 

“I really don’t know what you were expecting coming in with a disguise like _that_,” teased Pepper as she made her way to greet him. “Steve, it’s good to see you,” she said warmly.

Steve smiled. “It’s good to see you, too, Pepper,” he said as they embraced. “Any update on Tony?”

“There hasn’t been much change. Unless…?” Pepper looked at Dr. Palmer for clarification, since she wasn’t sure if her appearance was coincidental or not.

“Oh, no. There hasn’t been. I just came to see why there was so much noise out here,” she said. “However, Ms. Potts, on the matter of the limb-.”

“I really do think Tony should decide what he’d want to do,” she interrupted her, gently. “I mean, like you said, his condition has been stabilized and the limb won’t affect his condition from here on.”  
  
“Right,” she paused, a faraway look in her eyes. “Hopefully he fully wakes up soon to decide. However, I highly recommend it, since it’ll basically be a dead limb.”

“I just have a feeling Tony will have a pretty big say on what he’d like to do. I’m not going to take that decision away from him,” she said. What he’s been through… It’s traumatic enough. I think it’s time for him to take back control over his life.”

“Yeah,” she said. “I think I know what you mean by that. Stephen… he was kind of the same way. Didn’t know when to stop.”

Pepper and Christine smiled ruefully at each other. Resilience was what kept the men in their lives going. 

“Anyway, I should continue my rounds. I’ll be back to check on Mr. Stark in a few hours. It was good to see you again, Captain Rogers,” she said.

“Oh,” he blinked as if he was interrupted from deep thoughts. “Likewise, Doctor Palmer.” 

Christine smiled and nodded. She turned on her heel and walked back towards the direction she came from, leaving Pepper and Steve to their own devices. Pepper looked back at Steve and said, “So, Tony’s room is down that hall,” she pointed towards the left hallway. “Room 616, if you’d like to go see him. Happy and Morgan are in there right now.”

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Happy advised me to go take a coffee break and get some breakfast. So, that’s where I’ll be going,” she said. “Technically, I’ve been here all night. He woke up for a second yesterday after Morgan spoke to him. I was hoping that he would do it again soon, and I wanted to be there when he did.”

“I see. Well, Happy wasn’t wrong. You should go take a break.” He paused for a moment and said, “Do you mind if I tagged along? I could go for some coffee, too. I didn’t stop for breakfast on my way here.” 

Pepper finally took a good look at him. She could see the wariness in his eyes. Before she convinced Rhodey to take off, he was always on the phone with someone, which she eventually learned to be Steve. Rhodey had been updating Steve on Tony’s condition, constantly, even when there was no news to give. He even told her that Steve didn’t think he should be here in the first place, and that would be another issue to unpack in the laundry list of issues that Steve and Tony have had with each other. However, standing in front of him, now, she could tell that he cared, deeply - just like he did five years ago when he found out that there was a small chance that Tony might have survived.

He might not realize it now, but having Tony around, even after all of the arguments, was what gave him hope. 

Nonetheless, Pepper took pity on him and said, “Sure, Cap. Let’s go.” And together, they made their way to the elevators.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, do ya'll have any idea where I am going with this? I would like to hear your thoughts. lol
> 
> I would also like to know if you guys think that the character interactions are flowing naturally. It's kind of hard to write certain characters interacting when they've never interacted on screen before.
> 
> I'll probably have Tony up and Steve interacting with him in the next chapter lol. I hope so anyway. I don't know if I'll be able to update as fast though since I'll be traveling to Peru on Wednesday and I have an assignment due for class when I come back. I'll bring my tablet tho so I'll try to write a few paragraphs here and there.
> 
> As usual, comments and feedback are always welcome. And if ya'll would like to interact with me, don't be afraid to slide into the DMs on twitter. I love to talk to fellow Stevetonies. Maybe ya'll could help me brainstorm or give me ideas for the next chapter.  
@ircnshield


	3. Chapter 3

As expected, the hospital food was terrible.

The eggs were soggy; the bacon, like cardboard; the toast, stale. However, Steve wasn’t expecting much.

The coffee, though, was alright, all things considered.

He and Pepper chose to sit at a table near a window that had a view of the city life. People were milling out in the busy streets, getting to where they needed to go for the day. This had been the most mundane thing Steve has ever done in a while; people watching and drinking coffee.

Steve was picking at his scrambled eggs when he decided to voice his thoughts on how bland this was for him - as an attempt for small talk - when he saw the grimace on Pepper’s face as she looked down at his breakfast and then her own.  
  
“I probably should’ve taken you to an actual breakfast or bagel joint over this,” she said.

Steve shrugged, “Honestly, it’s not that bad. Besides, you’ve been here all night and this was closer than actually going out and finding a place to eat.”

Pepper grinned, “There was a coffee shop around the block, Steve.”

“Oh.”

“But you’re right. It’s not that bad,” she continued. “I’ve had worse.” A small smile appeared on her lips.

Steve raised an eyebrow at that.

“You might’ve heard this but Tony is a terrible cook.”

“Really?”

“I don’t let him anywhere near my kitchen. It’s a recipe for disaster. He made me a burnt omelet once, as an apology. Never again.”

Steve chuckled and said, “I haven’t had the pleasure of trying his cooking. He usually ordered takeout for the team.”

“And now you know why.” 

They both laughed.

The silence that followed was companionable, which was fine and all, but it felt as if it was lacking the vibrancy that Tony carried with him. If Tony had been here with them, he would have deflected the allegation with his sharp wit. They would never hear the end of it.

And Steve wanted to hear that - the banter.

“Steve.”  
  
Steve looked at Pepper to acknowledge her. There was an unreadable expression on her face. He could tell that she was examining him; but for what, he didn’t know.

“He was happy, y’know? Working with the team again,” she broke her gaze from him and looked at the window. “He didn’t explicitly say it on his nightly phone calls with me and Morgan, but I could tell. That’s not to say he wasn’t happy before, but I think that it was like something was missing for him.” She paused. “He threw himself into being a Dad to Morgan, and he’s been amazing at it.”

“I could tell,” Steve said as he smiled. “He would always light up when he talked about her during team dinners. He really loves her.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t always like that. The first year was hard, before Morgan. He wasn’t able to rest; he had nightmares of when everyone disappeared. It was like the wormhole all over again.”

Steve grimaced. “I’m sorry… I… I wish I had reached out sooner,” he admitted.

“Well, why didn’t you?”

Steve blinked. He wasn’t expecting such a direct question and was caught off guard. He looked down at his hands which were clenching and unclenching with uneasiness. He had an answer, but the shame and guilt that followed were too strong to put into words. It was more than the lies between them. Tony had spelled it out that day when he took off the nanotech housing from his chest and handed it to Steve. Clearly, Tony didn’t want anything to do with him at the time.

“I felt like he needed some space,” he said lamely, the _ from me _was left unsaid.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t even matter anymore, does it? And you’re here now, right? It’s better than never. And it looks like you two are on better terms,” she said with a slight smile. “Despite everything that happened between the two of you, and anything he would say regarding that, I think he forgave you a long time ago, Steve. In fact, I think he ne-” Pepper was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She quickly took it out and said, “It’s Happy.” 

Steve nodded, indicating that she should go ahead and answer it. 

As Pepper spoke on the phone with Happy, Steve took a moment to contemplate the conversation that they were having just now, and wondered just _ how much _ she knew about what happened in Siberia all those years ago; wondered if Tony had told her about who killed his parents and his own role of keeping the identity from him. Steve wondered if she knew how he stopped Tony from coming after him and Bucky, how he rammed his symbolic shield into the arc reactor to power down the Iron Man suit. For Pepper to say that Tony forgave him a long time ago - that was a little too hard for Steve to believe.

“Okay, Happy. We’ll be on our way up. Bye.” Pepper finished the call with a concerned look on her face and started to gather her things to leave.

“What happened?” Steve asked.

“They’re not completely sure, but they think Tony was trying to wake up again.”

“What do you mean?” Steve asked as he got to his feet.

“The way Happy explained it - it sounded exactly how he woke up last night, too.”

“Do you think he might...” Steve trailed off in question.

“We need to get up there. Now.”

* * *

If anything, everything Tony was experiencing was a complete and total blur.

Even the pain.

Until it wasn’t.

It was cold, however; wherever he was. He could hear people talking. Their voices echoed in and out.

Unmistakably, he could hear his little girl talking to him. _ Please, wake up, daddy. _And he wanted to, clearly. He tried, but all he saw was a blob with strawberry blonde hair. Pepper, perhaps? His vision blacked out before completely focusing, though.

Sometimes he felt warm touches against his hand. Someone must have been holding it. A whisper of _ wake up, Tony _ followed it.

Was he dead? Maybe. Tony remembered what happened in flashes. He recalled putting on the gauntlet, pain, snapping his fingers, Thanos disappearing, and more pain. And really, despite the pain, he felt at peace knowing that his nightmare was finally over. 

But was it over for him?

One out of the fourteen million six hundred five possible futures… the only one where they came out on top… 

Thinking back on that, and he must have been delirious at the time, he had a vague memory of that asshole, the cryptic doctor with his stupid, billowing, sentient cloak, portaling out and coming back with a female doctor friend…

Who knew Strange was capable of having friends that weren’t part of his magic act.

Anyway, he remembered other things, too.

_ Hi daddy. I had animal shaped pancakes for breakfast today. _

It was like an out of body experience at the time, because of the pain, but he remembered watching Pepper, clad in the blue Rescue armor, her eyes full of worry, scanning his body, and kneeling down close to him, whispering words of comfort.

_ Hey, Tony, the kid misses you. He’s coming to see you after school. _

He remembered a distraught Peter, crying - _ apologizing _ for something that was out of his control. It was Tony’s decision to wield the gauntlet. He saw the opportunity and took it; not knowing his own outcomes. He wouldn’t want Peter to feel any ounce of responsibility for what happened.

_ Rhodey left last night. He’ll be back soon, though. _

Rhodey. His best friend. Rhodey had been the first to reach him when he collapsed against the rubble. He remembered the hand he placed on his shoulder. He was silent, but his eyes conveyed the uncertainty and worry he didn’t vocalize. 

_ ...is on her way up here with Cap. _

Oh, right. Cap had been beside him there, too; talking to him.

Steve had been giving him words of reassurance, but Tony was able to hear the worry in his voice; see it in the tight smile he gave him, and the doleful look in his eyes. 

If Steve hadn’t had the cowl on at that moment, Tony would have probably felt worse than he already did. The guy could hurt someone with that sad, puppy-dog eyed look - and Tony had seen it before; it just took practice not to fall for it in other circumstances. 

In this case, however, he wanted to wipe it off his face. It meant something different, and he didn’t like it. That look didn’t belong there. And Tony tried to do so - tried to offer a sarcastic quip to change the expression on Steve’s face, but all he managed was half a smirk - the pain and exhaustion prevented him from conveying what he wanted to.

But Steve’s face was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.

And, maybe, that wasn’t so bad.

He could move on like this.

Because they had done it; they finished Thanos _ together. _

He smiled at that.

He couldn’t wait to tell Natasha all about it.

In the distance, he heard the murmuring of voices. They were talking about him. He felt warmth and softness surrounding him and a tiny pressure on his hand. Someone was holding it.

_ He’s holding my hand again, mommy! _

_ Maybe it’s just involuntary, Pepper. _

_ I don’t know, Happy. Either way, I’m going to … Doctor. … take that seat next to him and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back. _

He heard the unmistakable, frantic clicking of Pepper’s heels drifting away, but he heard quiet steps coming closer, and then the sound of a chair scraping closer towards him.

_ Morgan, Happy, and Pepper _. They were with him.

_ Why don’t you try it? _He heard his daughter acknowledge the companion on his right.

He heard them sigh. 

“Tony?”

In the next moment, Tony opened his eyes and was greeted with bright, fluorescent lighting. He blinked a couple of times for his vision to adjust to it. Then, he heard shuffling from the presence on his right, and suddenly, he saw a figure with blonde hair and azure eyes standing over him as the lights were starting to dim. 

And just as he heard the tapping of Pepper’s heels coming closer, he opened his mouth and groggily said, “Steve?”

* * *

Truthfully, Steve wasn’t expecting to be put in this kind of situation.

Again.

Unfortunately, awkward situations follow Steve like the plague. There was that time during the war when he thought Peggy and Howard were something more behind closed doors, and he had felt that burst of jealousy coursing through his veins, to the point of having a confrontation with Peggy. Definitely not his proudest moment.  
  
Then, there was that night when Carol Danvers rescued Tony from Space and brought him back to Earth. Pepper was already out there, watching as Captain Marvel lowered the spaceship to the ground. However, having caught that first glance of a haggard-looking Tony had Steve’s legs on autopilot, and he ran towards the ship as if his life depended on it. 

At the time he hadn’t questioned his actions, but as he reflected on them he couldn't help but wonder about the generous amount of time he took in assessing Tony’s condition while Pepper had to decide to run up to them and greet Tony herself. There was a slight feeling of guilt because he had felt a bit put out when she did. He had been trying to reconnect with Tony and was trying to bring him some sort of comfort due to how distraught he looked, but it should have been Pepper doing that… or Rhodes, but definitely Pepper.

And here he was again; robbing Pepper of her moment to be the one Tony wakes up to - his actual long-time partner and wife, who had been there for him longer than Steve ever had. However, Pepper, gracious Pepper, only glanced at him with a strange look that was there for a second and continued to walk into the room to stand beside her daughter and husband. There was no scandalous reaction and simply put, it was because Pepper was who she was - a person who handles things with professionalism and class.

So, if she could ignore this whole ordeal, so could he.

However, that didn’t stop Steve from wanting the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

He should also consider that it wasn’t necessarily his fault that he was the first person that Tony saw when he finally decided to wake up. 

Actually, now that he thought about it, this had happened before.

“Daddy! You’re awake!” 

Morgan’s voice interrupted his thoughts and reminded him that he had yet to reply, so he stowed away the past, smiled and said, “Hey, Tony. How are you feeling?”

“Oh, fantastic, really, Cap. How are you even here?” Tony grinned lazily. 

He turned towards Morgan. “Hey, kiddo,” 

he said as he lifted his arm so she could get closer to embrace him and extended his hand towards Pepper, who tried to compose herself but failed as a few tears trailed down her face. “Pep, it’s okay,” he said as he waited for her to grasp his own hand.

She sniffed and said, “God, Tony. I was so worried.” She closed her eyes and held Tony’s hand tightly with her own.

Steve, even though he felt like he was intruding (which was exactly what he feared was going to happen), smiled at the bittersweet sight in front of him. He was happy for them. Tony was finally able to be with his family without the heavy weight of remorse and regret that he had felt for not having tried hard enough on behalf of the rest of the world that “blipped” out of existence.  
  
There was a knock on the door before it opened and Dr. Palmer entered. “Oh, Mr. Stark. You’re awake,” said Dr. Palmer as she walked into the room. “This is great. We were hoping you’d wake up soon. I’m Dr. Christine Palmer, by the way.”

“Oh, right. Doc’s _ actual _ doctor friend. So what’s the bill of health?” Tony asked.

“Well-”

“Happy, could you take Morgan to get a snack, please?” interrupted Pepper, sending a pointed look towards Happy and then Tony.

“Yeah, you got it. C’mon, squirt.”  
  
“But I want to stay with, Daddy.” pouted Morgan.

Tony turned his head towards Morgan. 

“Maguna,” he lifted his left hand, placed it on Morgan’s head and ruffled her hair while giving her the most reassuring smile he could muster. “Go and get a snack with Uncle Happy. I’ll still be here when you get back.”

“Awake?” she asked, softly. Her brown eyes, just like her father’s, held a certain type of unease in them and it nearly broke Steve’s heart. If things hadn’t worked out as they did - Steve didn’t even want to think about how the repercussions could have affected Tony’s family.

Steve took a moment to glance at Tony’s face, and judged by his expression that he, too, was moved by the innocence evoked by his daughter.

“Of course,” Tony said with a watery smile. “C’mon, let’s pinky swear it.” He held out his pinky towards Morgan. Morgan giggled and intertwined her smaller pinky with his own. 

“There. See? Now I can’t go back to sleep until you come back. Now go, and bring me something back. I’m starving.”

“Okay.” She gave her father a kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go, Uncle Happy!” she said as she made her way out of the room. Happy laughed, turned towards Tony and Pepper to give them a thumbs-up, and followed Morgan out of the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! I’m back and I’m not abandoning this fic!! 
> 
> I’m so sorry that this chapter took this long to post. Like I mentioned before, I was traveling, but I also started another class at uni and it so happens to be a long Saturday class where I have projects due every week up until my bday which is November 18 lol. I should have more free time to write after the 18th since both of my classes will be concluded and it’ll be the holidays. Yay! But don’t worry, I’ll continue to write in between then.
> 
> So, I do have a plan for where I want to take this fic. I do see an ending and I think it’s safe to say that we’re finally at that point where I can get the plot moving.
> 
> What do you guys think so far? At least Tony’s awake, finally! Is there anything y’all would like for me to include in this fic. Any little moments between stevetony, or something you guys want to happen between them? I’m open to suggestions.
> 
> Also, I did want to mention that this is NOT a home wrecker Steve fic, or an anti pepperony fic or anti Pepper fic. I have a plan for that but I don’t want to spoil it. Anyway I love Queen Pepper.
> 
> But if anyone has questions don’t hesitate to pm/dm me.
> 
> Twitter: @ircnshield *DONT HESITATE TO COME YELL AT ME TO WRITE. Or talk to me about stevetony... or deancas 👀? (Any DeanCas stans out there? Lol how about that last episode, 15.03? big OOF. I’m also thinking about writing a coda/fix it for that lol)
> 
> I’m also open to prompts if anyone wants to suggest something that has nothing to do with this fic. I really want to apply for the stevetony zine but I don’t have enough samples of my work to show them. So yeah, prompts would be so cool!
> 
> Anyway thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! ❤️


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